Cuban Cigar Review » Other Cigar Reviews » Dutch Masters Cigars

Dutch Masters Cigars

The Dutch Masters brand celebrates its 100-year anniversary in 2011. These machine-made cigars are consistent best-sellers due to their appealing aroma and combination of smooth and mellow flavors. They feature both homogenized and naturally-grown wrappers and come many varieties, often sold in boxes of 50 or 55 for under $50.

Originally produced by G.H. Johnson Cigar Company, this brand became a flagship for the Consolidated Cigar Company that merged G.H. Johnson and six other companies in 1921. Since 1999, Altadis U.S.A., Inc. has manufactured and sold Dutch Masters. Included in the brand are full size cigars and small cigarellos affectionately called “mini-dutches.”

In the 1950s, Dutch Masters became a household name due to sponsoring television projects for comedian Ernie Kovacs. Ironically, Kovacs never smoked the brand, preferring Havana cigars. In the early 1990s, mentions in various hip-hop songs led to Dutch Masters experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Unfortunately, the mentions referred to the cigar being broken down and then re-rolled in combination with marijuana.

The 5.625-inch, 42 ring Coronas are particularly popular because they come in an assortment of flavors including strawberry, vanilla, and grape. Cigarellos are offered in chocolate, cognac, wine, and other tempting flavors. Smokers can also find vanilla, grape, and cognac Tube Cigarellos if they prefer a smaller smoke. These beloved American stogies can be found for under $1 each, making them a staple in the humidors of everyday smokers who enjoy a mild taste, excellent burn, and remarkable consistency.

A Dutch Masters cigar can be easily identified by its packaging. The image is the 1662 painting, The Syndics of the Draper’s Guild, by Rembrandt. The men in this oil painting are often thought to be Pilgrims but they are really the Drapers Guild paupers. This painting is described as the “last great collective portrait” painted by the world-renowned artist.